Google Ads is a digital advertising platform that allows businesses to reach potential customers through targeted advertising on Google search results and various other Google services.
Whether you are a business owner or marketing professional, understanding and using Google Ads can be a powerful tool for increasing brand awareness, driving traffic, conversions, etc. for your business.
In this complete guide, we will go over the basics of Google Ads, including important terms and how the platform works. We will also discuss the different types of campaigns available, the benefits of using Google Ads for your business, and how to get started.
Google Ads Terms You Should Know
Before diving into the details of Google Ads, it is important to understand some key terms and concepts used on the platform.
Campaign
A group of ad groups within a single advertising goal, such as increasing sales or generating leads.
Bidding
Bidding refers to the process of deciding how much you are willing to pay for a particular advertising campaign or for a specific keyword in Google Ads.
Ad Groups
Ad groups are a collection of ads and keywords that are related to a specific theme or product. Ad groups are used to organize and manage your ads within a campaign.
Keywords
Keywords are the words or phrases that users type into a search engine when they are looking for a specific product or service. In Google Ads, you can choose specific keywords to target in your campaigns, which helps ensure that your ads are shown to the right audience.
Ad extensions
Ad extensions are additional pieces of information that you can add to your Google Ads text ads to make them more useful and relevant to users. Ad extensions can include things like additional links to specific pages on your website, phone numbers, location information, and more.
Ad Rank
Ad rank is a metric that determines the position of your ad on the search results page. It is calculated using a combination of your bid amount, the quality of your ad, and the relevance of your ad to the user’s search query.
Quality Score
Quality score is a metric that measures the relevance and usefulness of your ad, landing page, and keywords. A high quality score can help improve your ad rank and lower your cost-per-click.
Impression
An impression is counted every time your ad is shown to a user, regardless of whether they click on it or not.
Cost per thousand impressions (CPM)
CPM stands for “cost per thousand impressions.” It is a pricing model in which advertisers pay a fee for every 1,000 times their ad is shown on the platform.
Pay-per-click (PPC)
PPC stands for pay-per-click, which is a model of online advertising in which advertisers pay a fee each time one of their ads is clicked. Google Ads is a pay-per-click platform, which means that you pay for your ads based on the number of clicks they receive, rather than on the number of times they are shown.
Cost-per-click (CPC)
CPC is the amount that a business pays each time a user clicks on one of its ads. The CPC is determined by the bid amount and the quality score of the ad.
Click-through rate (CTR)
CTR is the percentage of users who click on an ad after seeing it. A higher CTR can indicate that an ad is well-targeted and relevant to the user.
How Does Google Ads Work?
Google Ads operates on a pay-per-click (PPC) model, which means that you only pay when someone clicks on your ad. When a user types a search term into Google, the search engine runs an auction to determine which ads will be shown to the user and in what order.
To participate in the auction, you create an ad campaign and specify the keywords that you want to target. You also set a bid amount, which is the maximum amount that you’re willing to pay for a click on your ad.
Your ad’s position in the search results is determined by your AdRank, which we mentioned earlier. The higher your AdRank, the higher your ad will appear in the search results.
AdRank is determined by your bid amount and the quality score of your ad, which is based on the relevance and effectiveness of your ad and landing page.
Types of Google Ads Campaigns
Google Ads offers a range of campaign types, each designed to help you achieve a specific goal.
Search campaigns
These campaigns target users who are actively searching for specific keywords on Google. Your ads will appear in the search results when someone searches for those keywords.
Display campaigns
These campaigns target users who are browsing websites that are part of the Google Display Network. Your ads will appear on these websites as banner ads or other types of display ads.
Video campaigns
These campaigns target users who are watching videos on YouTube or other websites that are part of the Google Display Network. Your ads can appear as pre-roll ads, mid-roll ads, or banner ads on these videos.
Shopping campaigns
These campaigns are designed for businesses that sell physical products online. Your ads will appear in Google Shopping search results and can include product images, prices, and other details to help users make informed purchase decisions.
App campaigns
These campaigns are designed to help you promote your mobile app to users who are likely to be interested in downloading it. Your ads can appear in search results, on websites, or within other apps on the Google Display Network.
Local campaigns
These campaigns are designed to help local businesses attract customers from their immediate geographic area. Your ads will appear in search results and on maps when users search for local businesses or specific types of businesses in their area.
6 Reasons to Advertise on Google Ads
Reach a large audience
With billions of searches happening on Google every day, advertising on Google Ads gives you the opportunity to reach a massive audience of potential customers.
Target specific demographics
Google Ads allows you to target your ads to specific demographics, such as age, gender, location, and interests. This means you can focus your ad spend on reaching the people most likely to be interested in your products or services.
Measure results
Google Ads provides detailed analytics and tracking tools that allow you to see how your ads are performing in real-time. You can see how many people are clicking on your ads, how many are converting into customers, and what your return on investment (ROI) is.
Control your budget
With Google Ads, you set your own budget for each campaign, so you can control how much you spend on advertising. You can also set daily or lifetime budgets to ensure you don’t exceed your desired spend.
Improve your search engine optimization (SEO)
While Google Ads and SEO are two separate entities, advertising on Google Ads can actually help improve your SEO. This is because running ads can increase traffic to your website, which can improve your website’s visibility and authority in the eyes of Google’s search algorithm.
Quick results
Google Ads allows businesses to get their ads in front of potential customers quickly, with the ability to start a campaign almost immediately. This means that businesses can start driving traffic and generating leads within a short period of time.
How to Use Google Ads for Your Business
Set up a Google Ads account
To start using Google Ads, you will need to set up a Google Ads account by visiting the Google Ads website and following the prompts to create a new account.
Define your advertising goals
Before creating your first campaign, it’s important to define your advertising goals and determine which campaign type is best suited to achieve those goals.
Choose your targeting options
Google Ads allows you to target your ads based on demographics, locations, and interests. You can also use negative keywords to exclude certain terms from triggering your ad.
Set your budget
Google Ads allows you to set a daily or lifetime budget for your campaigns. It’s important to determine how much you are willing to spend and allocate your budget accordingly.
Create your ad
Once you have set up your campaign and chosen your targeting options, you can create your ad using the ad builder tool. You can choose from a variety of ad formats and customize the text, images, and other elements of your ad.
Monitor and optimize your campaign
Once your campaign is up and running, it’s important to monitor its performance and make adjustments as needed. You can use the analytics and reporting tools provided by Google Ads to track your campaign’s progress and optimize your targeting, budget, and ad creative for better results.
Google Ads is a powerful advertising platform that can help businesses of all sizes reach their target audience and achieve their marketing goals. By understanding how Google Ads works, familiarizing yourself with key terms, and using the right type of campaign, you can effectively use Google Ads to grow your business.
Don’t be afraid to experiment and try out different strategies and ad formats to see what works best for you.
With the right approach and a bit of optimization, Google Ads can be a valuable tool for growing your business.